Monday, February 28, 2011

Since the new year, we've faced a new parenting/moral dilemma. I would love a little feed back on what you would do.

Lee is in a new Primary class. Since I think most of my readers are LDS, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you're not, that's wonderful! Primary is the children's Sunday School in our church. He attends it for about 2 hours every Sunday, and in our particular meeting schedule, he goes to his class very first thing, with about seven other students his age, and then he goes into the full Primary sharing time for about forty minutes. We end with our family Sacrament Meeting. That's the setup.

The problem is Lee's teacher--who I don't even know her name and truly have nothing against--is a smoker. In a church that is strongly against all tobacco use, this is highly unusual. It is obvious she smokes up to the point she comes in the building. When she is sitting in Lee's classroom, I can smell the smoke in the hallway.

I don't want to be mean, or hurt her feelings, but I don't feel comfortable sending Lee into a classroom, cooped up with this strong smell for two hours. He literally comes away from Primary smelling of cigarette smoke himself. I just don't think this is a conducive spiritual environment, and it makes me pretty upset as a parent.

So, question here: what would you do?

Here's what we did:Cody and I discussed at length what should happen. We considered anonymous letters because I'm pretty non-confrontational. But we know those never go over well. So we decided to call the Primary President, who we've met before. We didn't want to confront his teacher personally, because that could lead to backlash and anger on Lee. So we called the President last night and she said she too was concerned about the kids health and well-being. She promised she would bring it up to the Bishopric and let us know. Cody and I have now decided to give it another week, but if she's still smelling so strongly of smoke, we don't feel comfortable taking Lee to that class. We'll take him with us to our classes if necessary; we just can't let him be alone with that smell anymore.

Am I being irrational? I hope not. I just know I, Lisa, wouldn't want to go to into a small classroom with someone who smelled like that for two hours. Why in the world would I force my son to put up with it? I think the other parents and teachers are probably frustrated with it as well. I don't know if other people have brought it up, but we were very gentle and kind in our chat with the Primary President, and she was very understanding. I hope we are a catalyst for good change, and nobody gets hurt or offended. That's the last thing we want.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

I wanted to surprise all my readers with some nice pictures today and a really upbeat post. But alas, I have lost my camera. I'm sure it's not too far away. So I will put up a few pics from my phone.Lee made this awesome alligator hat in preschool. When he wears it, we call him alLEEgator. :)A few weeks ago, I asked Lee what he wanted for dinner, and for his help cooking. We decided to make Cowboy Pasta (basically macaroni and cheese with beans, tomatoes, and green pepper...occasionally ground beef and taco seasoning). After choosing Cowboy Pasta, though, Lee came up with the idea of making cowboys out of carrots and oranges. We had so much fun arranging them on plates for everyone, and then munching them down. Lee is quite the little chef!

Annalisa has been so amazingly cute. She speaks very well in complete sentences and paragraphs. Her favorite activity the last week has been "making hairbows." She sits on the armrest of the couch by the cart currently serving as an end table with a clothespin, a microfiber mop head, a lid from the cooking spray, a toy fire truck, an old (empty) ribbon spool, and a small red pom-pom. From there, the possibilities are endless, and keep her happily entertained for an hour or more. Another amazing thing she figured out by herself is playing "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" on the piano. Of course not the whole thing--she's only two, after all--but the "Up above the world so high" part. You know, in solfedge, it goes "So So Fa Fa Mi Mi Re." She starts at the top of the keyboard and using that rhythmic and musical pattern, runs the entire way down the piano singing along. It is amazing. Not trying to be immodest, but I think she inherited my musical talent. And then some!

As for Cody--he's been sick again this week. :( My poor husband! He never gets sick! I feel like in the last three months he has been sick more times than in our entire married life. This time it was a fever with a sore throat and hurting ears. We had him checked for ear infection, but it wasn't bad enough to prescribe antibiotics. So he's been on lots of Tylenol. I think the worst is over, though, and last night he didn't even need an extra blanket on his feet to keep warm.

And lastly, we had an awesome baby "sprinkle" at my mom's house yesterday. I was so happy to see friends and family. But I'm NOT talking about pregnancy today, so we'll leave it at that. Thank you, thank you, everyone who came and participated and helped. It was wonderful.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

The past few days I've been hungry, the way a pregnant woman is supposed to be. This should be normal, but this pregnancy I've had more food aversions and nausea and just inability to eat than ever before... as is evidenced by my 11 pound weight gain total. So I've been very mindful of this sudden hunger. The other night I woke up at four in the morning so hungry I knew I would never go back to sleep, so I had a bowl of granola, raisins and milk. Yesterday at the store I bought snack foods I haven't indulged in in months--ice cream, cottage cheese, and ham. (Not together.)

So three in the afternoon today, I'm walking around and realize I'm really hungry. I start thinking of what to eat. And I'm so proud of myself: I chose an apple! I've always proclaimed snacking on fruits and vegetables, but haven't always done it. As soon as Lee saw me snacking on an apple, he of course wanted one. I very happily told him yes. He very happily ate his apple, even throwing his seeds out the front door so they would grow in the spring. :)

I count this as a major pregnancy-parenting success! I taught my son a good eating habit, curbed my appetite, and kept myself healthy all in one.

p.s. I would so love to come in under fifteen pounds this pregnancy. I am not denying myself anything, but I am trying extra hard to be healthy. But if I do break fifteen pounds, no big deal.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Yes, I've been blogging about this pregnancy almost exclusively... can you tell what has been on my mind?

Today I am 36 weeks and 5 days. In the last week, the heaviness has finally set in. I am uncomfortable, tired, and... more tired. I get about an hour of energy a day, and once it's gone, it's a struggle to finish everything else. Of course, as the nesting instincts are taking hold, my to-do list grows exponentially, and as the energy is diminishing, it doesn't help. :)

I had a doctor appointment today. At one point I was having Dr appts on Thursdays, the day the "week" changes, but over time they've meandered to Tuesdays. So it's kind of weird, but I try to think of Tuesdays as my "Almost ___ weeks" days to make the doctor appointments easier. Sound strange? Today was my "Almost 37 weeks" appointment. After the check, I am still dilated to a 1, but "effaced quite a bit more" (Doctor Clark's words, not mine). He didn't give me an actual percentage, so I'm going to arbitrarily assign myself 50% effaced. Then, he explained the process of stripping membranes (not as scary as it sounds)/the good it can do, even if it doesn't put me in labor immediately; and also told me I could elect to be induced after 39 weeks, or I could wait all the way to 41. Considering Cody has requested a week off of work right around my due-date, I hope to take advantage of that. I personally am shooting for around March 14. Wouldn't that be ideal? :)

I do, however, feel much less stressed and frustrated this time around. I am fully expecting another induction and another overdue baby. Every check so far has been with no expectations or hopes whatsoever, which keeps me calmer. With Annalisa, I was praying so hard to go into natural labor, that I just made myself depressed. With this little one, I am reassuring myself constantly that the baby is healthy and the labor will progress well, whether or not it starts naturally.

I think our little girl has descended a bit. I have pressure and lower back pain a lot, which often makes it very hard to walk. So, I sit a lot at the computer or on the bed. Mommy's prerogative. ;)

And that's pretty much where we're at! I have a baby "sprinkle" on Saturday. I am mega excited! (By the way, if you would like an invite and didn't receive one, let me know.)

Monday, February 21, 2011

After writing the following post, I realize it is very long and rather silly. Read at your own caution. :D

Last night I actually had contractions. That's right, you heard me, contractions. I am in shock still. I have never, ever had a contraction without medication. I suppose when I was pregnant with Annalisa I had a few tightenings, but it wasn't a true contraction. Last night it was real contractions, starting in my back and radiating into my abdomen, getting so tight that I had to quicken my breath to work through it and I was uncomfortable. I would try moving and they didn't go away. They were about every five minutes for an hour and a half, between 1:30 and 3:00 am.

I woke up and had to go to the bathroom (very very common). When I got back in bed I had the first one, which was pretty mild and mostly just hurt my lower back. I laughed to myself and got a little giddy thinking "What if I'm having contractions? Wouldn't that be silly?" But then I had another one. After laughing through about three, and they were getting stronger, I started thinking, "Wait, these really are contractions. The baby is lying posterior; I can tell because I can feel her hands moving and all these contractions are starting in my back." And once I had come to the conclusion that I was indeed having real contractions, I started looking at the clock and realized they were about five minutes apart, lasting about a minute a piece. Then I started to get nervous. There is so much I haven't got done yet; primarily, cleaning the baby's carseat. It was stored in our old home's basement, which means that it is probably mildewy. And it's thick foam padding, so it will take a long time to dry. I also got worried about some stuff for cub scouts, and a few phone calls we need to make. So, I got out of bed again, found a pen and paper, went into the bathroom and turned on the light (as to not wake Cody), and wrote a list.

Now that I read the list, I have to smile in spite of myself. It goes: -Call _____ for the dates and prices of the cub scout activity in June. Call boys and get money and dates for activity as well. -Wash and install carseat. -Take Anna potty every 2 hours or so. -Lee preschool at 8:30 am and 12:30 pm.

These were the notes that I found extremely pressing and important at two am while I was having contractions. Notice anything? My priorities: #1) make sure I follow through on the things I promised I would do. #2) Make sure my baby is safe. #3) Make sure Annalisa is safe. #4) Make sure Lee is safe. These notes weren't necessarily for me to remember, but if I had to leave in the middle of the night, what I would want to make sure SOMEBODY knew. I also made a mental decision of how things would go if I needed to go in the hospital. After I wrote my little list, I felt better, and realized that while I had been up, the contractions had stopped. But I got really really cold, so I got back in bed and snuggled up next to snoring Cody.

That's when I had the three hardest, strongest contractions. My abdomen was like a rock and I had to breathe really hard. I thought to myself, "If I have one more contraction, I'm waking Cody up. Not to go to the hospital, but so I can tell him I'm turning on the computer and blogging." Really. That's what I thought. Don't you all feel loved? :)

I had one more contraction, sat up to breathe through it, and then Cody woke up and asked me if I was having a coughing fit (also been common recently). I explained what was going on, and told him that I just wanted to watch some TV or turn on the computer for a while. He rubbed my back while I watched the news and a few minutes of infomercials. The contractions stopped almost immediately, but my back was achy for a while. After about forty minutes more and one final potty trip, I was tired again and went back to sleep contraction-free.

I'll bet now that you're laughing at me; as you have every right to be. Not a mean laugh, but more like a "silly Lisa" laugh. I just can't believe I had actual contractions! Today my back is still a little sore, but as soon as I'm done with this blog post I'm going to clean the carseat. I'm also going to pack a mini-hospital bag. I doubt I will go into labor for a while. I still doubt I will go into labor on my own. But I freaked myself out enough last night to take a more serious look at the end of this pregnancy. It is coming, sooner than I think.

And now, just for your enjoyment, here's a picture that my Granddad H. took yesterday at the February birthday party. Grandma H, my cousin Mark (head cut off), and myself share a birth week, and we all live in the same town. So Mark's wife Emily made this amazing birthday cake and we all blew out candles. However, my absolute favorite part of this picture is Annalisa. I mean, just look at her. Just look. *smile*

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Yesterday was my birthday! I hadn't been thinking about it too much. We've been busy. Tuesday we had dentist appointments (all four of us cavity-free, whew! I'm so glad I don't have to work in more dentist appointments in the next few days/weeks...), my doctor checkup, and also Cub Scouts. That's right; Cody and I are the new Webelos leaders in our ward, and now get to figure out all this cub scouting stuff. So I was frantically running from place to place all day Tuesday; and come bedtime, I was quite bummed out about my birthday. I hadn't even made it to the store, and my dream of having cheesecake was floating out the window. I know Cody can't cook a cheesecake. I also knew he had no gifts wrapped for me, no food in the fridge that I had requested, and he had to work all day on my birthday. I figured I'd let what happened, happen, and if I got really depressed about the way my birthday was running, I'd just put my foot down and take us out to dinner or something. And maybe I'd just have to make a cheesecake some other day.

Wednesday morning I was the first up (as usual) and treated myself to a nice hot shower instead of running straight into the morning routine of clothes and breakfast and preschool and potty breaks and whatnot. When I got out of the shower, Cody told me to get back in bed so that the kids could surprise me. So I obliged (even though I had to run back to the bathroom momentarily because of morning sickness :P) and in a few minutes, Anna came in with a candle and Lee was singing Happy Birthday at the top of his lungs. They helped me blow out the candle and brought me an unwrapped--but still very nice--gift. Cody then informed me that he'd arranged with my mom to babysit all day so Cody and I could go to the temple. I was super excited then! After dropping off Lee at preschool, I took Anna to my mom's house (where she had her own gift for me, thanks mom, I can't wait to use it, and I'll certainly blog about it when I do!) and went to my chiropractor appointment, and then Cody and I packed up the car and went to Salt Lake City for the day. We have a temple much closer to us (we are so very blessed by that), but I really wanted to do a "live" session, because I'd never done that before.

Cody and I picked up some lunch on the way down and enjoyed the session at the temple. It was fun to talk in the car and just think about us and the coming baby and life, and not be stressed out. Cody had even tricked me into thinking he had work, when he really had the day off the whole time. It was a wonderful day-date. We got back to mom and dad's at about 5:30 and they had dinner ready for us... AND cheesecake. :D Mom had worked so hard to make it a special day, and I am very appreciative! Lee was excited to show us what he'd done one the cake--putting on pecans and candles. Annalisa had kept herself clean and dry all day. After dinner and cake we drove home just as a massive snow storm was starting. We hunkered down in our house and watched the snow fly, and Cody and I played a game and watched some TV and went to sleep early.

It was a great birthday! Thanks to everyone who was so kind and thoughtful and wished me a happy birthday. I feel very loved. :) Love, Lisa

I was just reviewing past blog posts and found this one, featuring pictures of Annalisa's first Halloween costume (She was a golden snitch). She was just over a month old.

That picture just got me super excited to have another baby. I can't wait to hold my little one and kiss her cheeks, and to nurse her and put her in cute baby clothes... to hear her little cry and eventually her soft coos, to watch her yawns and hiccups, to smell her soft hair and skin and wrap her up next to me during skin-to-skin time... I can't wait to see if she will have brown eyes or blue or hazel, or if she'll be the one to get Cody's curly hair...

I've been so nervous and worried about getting everything done with three children that I finally just realized that I'm missing the most important thing: I'm bringing a new life into this world! A tiny, precious, adorable life that will be mine to care for.

I am in love with my children. I am thrilled to be having another one.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Just got back from my Doctor's appointment, and much to my surprise, I'm actually dilated to a 1. For those of you who have early babies (or have actually started labor on your own) this might not sound like much. But for me, who never made it to a 1 on my own with Lee, and was at a 1 at 39 weeks with Annalisa, a 1 is BIG progress!

Right now I'm feeling like, "run that by me again? You mean I'm going to have a baby?" Please don't think I'm crazy. I have been mentally prepping myself for two and a half years to NOT go into labor on my own. I still don't think I will. But just the idea that I have progressed this much, this early, is completely shocking.

I suppose I'd better get things ready now, like cleaning and installing the carseat and getting the baby's room ready. Maybe I'll even think about packing a hospital bag. Never been a necessity before; and I was so disappointed when I didn't start labor on my own with Annalisa, that I don't want to set myself up for depression and anxiety. So I'm still going to take it easy. Nobody is on high alert yet. I think I still have a solid 4 weeks of pregnancy left.

Yes Lisa, don't read much into this 1 of yours. The baby will come at the right time. Now is not that time. Instead, now is the time to get a few more things ready. ;)

Monday, February 14, 2011

We're making this year a homemade blast. Because I'm still recovering from a week of sicknesses, it is nice to make Valentine's day a low-stress, kid-friendly party. Anna and I have tried some fun hairdos for Valentine's day. Hairdo 1: a little braided heart on the side of her head:Hairdo 2: a pink ribbon wrapped around her hair to form a heart shape... well, as close to a heart a we could get. We had fun, anyway.Lee is as handsome as ever. He was so thrilled to take Valentines to preschool today! Tonight we are going to have a Valentine's Day party. Not quite sure what we'll do yet, but it will be fun! :)

Saturday, February 12, 2011

More attempts to keep a better pregnancy journal this go-around. For the future.

I've been scouring my blog for reminders of how I felt with my previous pregnancies. I remember having so much hope before my first examination, and feeling so bummed out when there was no progress at all. This time, I have my first exam on next Tuesday (two days before I hit the 36 week point). I do not anticipate any progress whatsoever. In fact, if there is anything, I will be more than shocked. I'm even considering not getting the exam done and just waiting another week. I have not been having contractions, and I hardly even feel big. No, I can't bend over. Yes, I'm short of breath. But do I feel like I have just over a month left to go? No.

Anna sometimes likes to hide under her sister.

My flu-like-illness is going away. Yay! I still feel pretty crummy, but it is getting better each day. The worst day I had a fever most of the day; my lungs and ribs ached from coughing so hard; I could hardly move. Yesterday I was able to get out of bed a little bit more and the fever was gone. Still hurt a lot, though. Today, the pain is subsiding. I'm still coughing a lot and my nose is mega-congested, but I only woke up three times last night in coughing fits, as opposed to about six times the previous two nights. I cannot express my appreciation enough for those of you who came to help me, especially Mom S and Mom F and Grandma Diane. Your service and love and kind deeds mean so very, very much. And the rest of you who could only offer prayers or happy thoughts, I appreciate them so much too! I was afraid I wasn't going to make it through this illness. I couldn't see how it would work out. But I feel so blessed, and it gives me so much hope for the future, knowing I have loved ones who care for me and my family. Thank you!

Anyway. I often feel the baby squirming around. She is definitely getting bigger. But she definitely likes her naps, and usually is still when I'm still. She moves when I move. Do you realize how happy this makes me? I don't want to curse myself, so I won't go into further detail. Let's just say, it is a good sign for a good sleeping schedule. Still, this little one isn't as squirmy as Lee (screensaver baby) or even Annalisa. Which makes me wonder if she's just little? Hm. I'll ask the doctor on Tuesday if she's growing well.

I will have to take some belly shots. I really do not feel as big this time around. I've only gained a total of 10 pounds so far. I'll probably get another five or ten this month, but this illness I'm sure hasn't helped any. Or maybe it has. I really don't want to gain a lot of weight. I'm eating as healthy as I possibly can, so I know little one is getting good nutrition. But I am really hoping to set myself up for some good weight loss after pregnancy, so a minimal gain feels nice.

I think that is enough for today. I'll let you know how the checkup goes. It will probably be boring.

I will let you know, however, that just likeAnnalisa'sbirth, we will be documenting and announcing right here on For Kicks and Giggles. So, stay tuned, "Follow," or if you really would like, you can ask me for email updates. That is, if you want to follow this kind of a thing. It was so fun for us to keep everyone informed and feel like you were "there" throughout the labor last time, that I really want to do it again. And, I love having that nice documentary of my labor and delivery. The mind is slippery. The document is permanent.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

This has just been a really hard week for me. Yesterday I succumbed to the same flu Cody had. I'm more than just a little miffed about it; I had my flu shot! I'm the mom, the one who needs to take care of everybody! AND I'm pregnant! It's just not fair that I'm sick. :( Today I feel rotten. I've got the works: fever, cough, body aches, runny nose, and the occasional nausea. I just hate being sick while pregnant. Thank goodness DayQuil is approved. I wish it was stronger. ;)

Let's focus on positive things, though, shall we?-Cody is getting much much better. He still has a lingering cough, but his other symptoms are all gone now.-Lee's antibiotics did the trick and he is better too. Yay!-Anna's runny nose day didn't develop into anything more sinister. -I have been getting ready for the end of pregnancy so carefully that I can afford to use some of my casseroles for right now.-I just barely stocked up on juice, disinfectant, face masks, and medicine. Earlier this week I made a big pot of chicken noodle soup. So we're prepared.-Cody's flu lasted about four days total, so I will hopefully be feeling better soon!

Monday, February 7, 2011

I am writing this while waiting for the pharmacy to open. So that is why it is long and rambling.

After enjoying many many mostly-sick-free months, the bug has finally bitten our house. Lee's rhinovirus congested his ears and got infected, and now Cody has the flu. This morning Anna's nose was pretty crusty, but other than a runny nose, she has no other symptoms. For now.

Yesterday Cody was really sick. It was a huge bummer, because it was his first Sunday off if over a month, and he was so excited to go to church and spend the day with his kids. But he couldn't get out of bed. I took the kids to church by myself, and come the last hour of meetings (Sacrament meeting for us, since we have the "reverse" schedule right now), Lee put his head in my lap and told me he was feeling way bad and there was something stuck in his hear and it was ouchie. We left shortly after the sacrament was passed. I pulled up to the house as Cody was backing out, trying to come to the last hour of church. Poor Cody again was so out of it that he didn't realize that there was only about half an hour left. But he was trying so hard. So, we made our second trip to the Instacare of the week, got a prescription for Lee's ear infection, and then went for a Superbowl party. I know, I know. Probably should have stayed home. But we drugged up the sickies and tried to take it easy. I was glad for the break from the house and the time with family. Annalisa got the giggles in the second half and went absolutely supernova.Superbowl party foodstuffs: shrimp cocktail, crackers with cream cheese and chili sauce, chips and 3 types of dip, loaded potato skins, hot wings, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, cheese, frog-eye salad, fruit, potato salad, vegetables, juice, *(Forgot these the first time I wrote it) a marvelous baked brie, pesto cheese puffs,* and oatmeal cake for dessert. Yum, right?

The baby loved the food, but not the reduced leg room from my full stomach. :) She wiggled and squirmed and put pressure on my back. So, consequently, even though I loved all the delicious food and my stomach loved it as well (still an unfortunate rarity during this pregnancy... I haven't been able to eat much), I started feeling the first of the really uncomfortable stage of pregnancy last night. This morning is much more comfortable again. I have a feeling this little girlie is going to be smaller. I'm over 34 weeks and can still say I feel fairly comfortable. Thank goodness. Every day is a victory. And I am so glad that the sickness came this month and not next!

Last night Cody was again, very sick. At eleven he finally consented to take some medicine, then came back to bed with a fever so bad he couldn't stop shivering. He was coughing and sniffling. I tried rubbing his back and holding his feet in mine to warm them up, but ultimately, we realized it was a futile attempt. I went to sleep on the couch so Cody could have the nice soft bed. But a few minutes later, the man comes and makes me go back to bed, taking the couch himself for the rest of the night. What a hero! He would NOT take no for an answer. So, I slept in the soft bed, feeling bad for my husband all night. But, in a way I'm kind of glad. I don't think Cody would have slept any better in the bed, and now I am rested and a little more able to take care of my sick family.

Today's schedule: 1-go to the pharmacy and load up on meds. 2-do laundry. 3-sanitize the office... okay, sanitize the whole house... 4-try to keep up on Anna's potty training, as she had a few accidents this weekend and needs another push. 5-try to get everyone to take a nap today. 6-teach my piano student. Notice: no cleaning, other than laundry? That's right. I am going to purposefully neglect the little bits of clutter all over. I have other things to do today. So there.

Okay. The pharmacy opens in twenty minutes. I can get Anna ready and go now. Goodbye. :)

Sunday, February 6, 2011

On Friday we got yet another new cousin! Baby Bryan was 5 days overdue, and made a splash in this world coming in at a whopping 10 pounds 1 ounce. We think he is adorable in his pictures. Anna has been practicing her "Baby Bryan" impression.

And just another random thought... though not too random, since I've been thinking it a lot lately... Since I became pregnant, we've welcomed four new cousins: Riley, Ashlin, (both from S side), and Jayli, and Bryan (both from F side). I am now "next" in line. Whoa. There will be more after this little girlie too. I've loved being pregnant with my sisters and sisters in law. I love that all these cousins will be so close in age. To all you new mommies out there, especially Kami, Raychel, Kristin, and Kathy--we love you and congratulations and are praying for many sleep-filled nights for you all.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

OK, I've been working very hard to keep this blog light and fun the past few weeks with no complaining or whining. I think I've earned myself a little journal-y post!

Today I am 34 weeks along with pregnancy #3. I wish I had kept even better journals of my previous pregnancies, because I would love to compare now. But oh well, we all always wish we had kept better journals, right? Even those of us who do keep good journals!... ?

Anyway. The baby is growing, but I'm often surprised how small I still feel. I swear with previous pregnancies I felt pretty squished by now... but there are times--most times, a lot of times--that I hardly feel pregnant. Well, that's not entirely accurate... I always feel pregnant. The aches and pains are here. The charlie horses, the heartburn, the inability to bend over, the often-times-embarrassing reminder to cross my legs when I sneeze... but as far as belly size and general squished-ness, I feel like this is much less than I remember. I have no doubt it will get unbearable very soon, so I am counting my blessings and moving on.

The thumping has quieted! I'm not saying it is gone, just much quieter and less frequent. I thought I was going to completely lose it, and I am SO SO SO grateful that it has decided to give me a little break. I still have no idea what was causing that incessant "bang-whoosh-bang-whoosh-bang-whoosh" in my head, but let's just say... good riddance. knock on wood.

I really am excited for three kids. Nervous, but excited. In two weeks I start the one-week doctor appointments where they start checking progress. Considering my overdue + induced history with labors, I don't expect much for a while. Until then--ready or not, baby #3, here we come!

(Oh, and yes, we have decided on a name. But that is for later posts. ;D)

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Recently, I've been blogging a few of my adventures/troubles/concerns/triumphs of being a mom with little kids. I thought you might like to hear how things are coming along for my awesome kids!Anna is potty training still. The past few days she has been doing great. I mean, really great. No accidents in two full days and counting! We have potty breaks about every hour to hour and a half. She doesn't yet tell me she needs to go, but just keeping it in the potty and not on the floor or in the panties is a huge success. I don't mind taking her. When it is potty break time, she does everything herself, including pulling panties up and down and wiping when done. So, I doubt it will be very long before she just takes herself. I feel great about her progress. There is just going to be a few weeks or months like this--lots of reminders and lots of praise--until she's finally broken the habit of going wherever/whenever. That's a tough habit to break, too. Imagine breaking the habit of something you've done completely second nature for 2 years! So proud of my girl.

Lee and I have been doing "practice time" every day for his schoolwork. Because he's been sick, I have been particularly stickler about it. But he loves it so far. In this movie (below), he'd already been doing the game for a few minutes and so of course he was getting a little silly when the camera came out. But his progress has been good. I'm going to ask his teacher to reassess his goals when he gets back to school and tell him all the activities we used to practice at home. His biggest issue hasn't been paying attention in school; his problem is focusing and participating when there are lots of distractions (like other kids) around. Example: he can sing all of the primary songs, tell us all about his primary lessons, and bear his testimony at home. But in Primary, he mostly just sits there and stares. He is learning so much, but it's the distractions that keep him from showing it. So practice at home is really great for him, but I need his teacher's help to get his school performance up too. And that--only time can tell at this point.

I'm really proud of my kids. They have been learning and working so hard. As this pregnancy has progressed, I have required more and more from them. They constantly amaze me at the things they can do for themselves and how much they learn each day. Both kids now are great and getting themselves dressed (Lee a little better than Anna, of course), putting their dirty laundry down the laundry chute (a favorite activity), brushing teeth, and helping clean up toys and messes. Lee is good at buckling his own seat belt now, with just a little help. I am especially grateful, because it brings me hope for when we have three kids. I have good helpers that do what I ask them... usually... and are always eager to please. Yay kiddos!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

This morning I had my 34 week OB appointment. Since we're going with our family doctor, and his office happens to be attached to the Instacare, and Cody also didn't have to work this morning, we all went together and decided to take Lee over to the Instacare while I was at my appointment.

Lee has been sneezing and runny nose since Sunday, accompanied by red spots/rash on his face and a few on his body. While he hasn't been itching, I was still worried about the red spots. Lee's diagnosis: Rhino Virus. So, fluids, rest, keeping him away from other kids... but not much else to do except wait it out. Lee didn't really like wearing his "Superhero mask," but was a good sport about the rest of it. He's a brave kid.

My OB appointment was pretty normal. I'm measuring just right. This baby is super shy about her heartbeat. It has always taken several tries to find her with the doppler. She much prefers to kick the doppler or bat it with her hand than to let the doc listen to her heartbeat. Kind of random and funny.

But while we were waiting (I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting... 45 minutes in the waiting room, another 30 minutes in the exam room...ugh), there was a little boy who got his blood drawn, was later taken back to see the doc, and could be heard screaming bloody murder pretty much the whole time. I felt so bad for him. He couldn't be more than two or three. When the doc came in, he mentioned that they were way behind because of the severity of this boy's case--he is so anemic he has nearly no iron in his blood. They had to order special iron pills for him at the pharmacy. But the doctor kind of shook his head and mentioned that they must not feed him anything but sugar, because his teeth are all rotted out and he refuses all meat.

Trying hard not to judge his parents too harshly... yes, there are diseases and other disorders that can make kids so picky that it is literally impossible to feed them properly... but still, this kid's life is in danger right now! I'm really grateful for my kids and their willingness to eat their food. The story of this poor little boy just got to me today. The job we mothers (and fathers) face is so big and important. Sometimes I feel unappreciated or lonely or even bored. But I have to remember just how important I am, and how much my kids need me to care for them and teach them properly. To all you parents out there, doing your best to care for your kids and help them be healthy, safe, and well balanced: good work, and good luck!